Some Fun Reading Regarding the Immensely Successful IRLcar Racing League

[SurfaceUnits]

Part 1

Holmatro is seriously reassessing their Indy Car sponsorship after the Texas debacle.

Izod got a sweet deal...so sweet that they won't even sponsor their driver anymore this year.

The preeminent team in Indy Car has 2 cars without sponsors. Many others are either without major sponsorship or under sponsored. A large percentage of the grid is there because of ride buyers.

Their be all that ends all, signature event had 1000's of empty seats and lower TV numbers.

This does not matter since the biggest race of the year records the lowest ratings ever, down from last year. There were some interesting (read panic) meetings the past few weeks and Izod is not at all pleased. They had expected an increase, of a point or more. That did not happen, and spin mode is in play.

And that folks, is bad news.


there was a lot of talk/smoke about key metrics when the Izod deal was inked.....
I would think a increase in the i500 rating was at the top of the list
If they believe it ain't working and they have a Legal out they are gone. Those are big "if"s though.
It all comes down to if they can sell more alligators because of the deal.

That is the big rumor going around the paddock. It is just a rumor...but two things happening behind the scenes provide credence to the rumor.

#1 IZOD's refusal to continue it's sponsorship of their boy RHR.

#2 ICS talking to other companies about series title sponsorship. I know of 2 companies that have been contacted.
That can mean one of two things. The IZOD title deal is conditional until another big sponsor with a bigger checkbook comes along or that IZOD is out.


The Iowa Corn Indy 250 drew the smallest crowd of its four-year run at Iowa Speedway on Sunday

Indy Car had better get their a*s in gear. There is another series that will soon be exploding on the scene on a network that is much better than VS. I have seen the network plan and they have full backing.

The Indycar races, will not be on NBC unless they buy time. Period, and that is not going to happen any time soon.

As I have said in the past, the ratings are so low, it is a non discussion; NBC is not interested, unless they get paid to air races. The ratings needed to go up significantly, and that has not been the case. The ABC numbers are down right horrible. Izod, the best supporter the sport has had, is on the verge of making it one and done, since the ratings bump that was promised for the 500, did not occur.


Comcast got most of the NBC affiliates onboard. Comcast has agreed NOT to shift certain (popular) sports programming to cable, but instead will leave it on free over-air. Can you imagine how they'd react if Comcast tried to force sports programming on them which gets sub 1 ratings, and whose marquee event has been falling in the ratings for 15 years???!!!

Comcast is in this deal to make money, not to find ways to prop up the IRL and lose money (or make enemies of its affiliates).

[SurfaceUnits]

Part Dos

They thought the worst case scenario for the ratings, was if there was rain and the race delayed or postponed. No one predicted that ratings would go down, and they thought a bump of 30% or more was and seemed a reasonable target.

When that did not happen and the ratings came out (and were the worst, ever) there was an unscheduled meeting between Izod and Indycar. Any plans for RHR were dropped, and discussions turned to how to move forward, if at all, in 2011.

Izod, and Indycar officials fully expected an increase, not a decrease in ratings from the series premier event. This decrease hurt in more ways than most of you know. In addition to Izod, you might just start to notice more rumors about teams loosing sponsorship $$.

The thinking was that things culd not get any worse...the reality is that it did get worse, and no one knows how low will it go. Izod will not ride on a loosing horse....

IF Izod comes back, then I would vote for RB for President of the US (Though given the dunce now in office, I would vote for a fig...). What I hear is they should be back in 2011 but the series is bracing and preparing for the worse. If they can keep them onboard for 2012, and pick up some engine mfgrs, that would be good. If not, look for re-worked Dallara's for a few more years.

[stroker]

so what's the source of these observations?

[Don Quixote]

What was the Texas debacle mentioned at the top? Was that race any more of a debacle than any other of the other races?

[SurfaceUnits]

What was the Texas debacle mentioned at the top? Was that race any more of a debacle than any other of the other races?

that may have been the roasted Swiss driver

[Don Quixote]

that may have been the roasted Swiss driver Ahhh, yes.

[Gnam]

What was the Texas debacle mentioned at the top? Was that race any more of a debacle than any other of the other races?

Simona flambe.

[Gnam]

The thinking was that things culd not get any worse...the reality is that it did get worse.

As BiF says, things are getting grater. :D:thumbup:

[SurfaceUnits]

yep,,,and the reason all them irlcar drivers have them recks is because karma knows the engine in and iNdycar is suposed to be in front

[SurfaceUnits]

so what's the source of these observations?

most comes from a poster calling hisself EagleEye

[stroker]

most comes from a poster calling hisself EagleEye

Ah. Sounded like something sourced from the net. My apologies.

[Indy]

There is another series that will soon be exploding on the scene on a network that is much better than VS. I have seen the network plan and they have full backing.

Ruh-roh

http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2009/6/7/saupload_scooby_doo_2.jpg

[pchall]

Simona flambe.

Swiss melt.

[opinionated ow]

Swiss melt.

hey hey hey...that be my favouritest (read cutest) lady racing driver you be teasing there. behave :p

[emjaya]

There is another series that will soon be exploding on the scene on a network that is much better than VS.


Wot? Is this the DP01 series actually happening?

[Elmo T]

What sort of start-up series would have "full backing" and be on a decent network (something > VS)? Seems unlikely unless it includes teenage vampires driving cars. :rolleyes:

[NismoZ]

Super Atlantics lives!! ;)

[Gnam]

What sort of start-up series would have "full backing" and be on a decent network (something > VS)? Seems unlikely unless it includes teenage vampires driving cars. :rolleyes:

Full F1 season on Fox?

[devilmaster]

hey hey hey...that be my favouritest (read cutest) lady racing driver you be teasing there. behave :p

woulda never guessed. :p ;)

[Andrew Longman]

What sort of start-up series would have "full backing" and be on a decent network (something > VS)? Seems unlikely unless it includes teenage vampires driving cars. :rolleyes:

Totally making it up, but if Red Bull can pull together the Air Race Series it does, in the places it does, and put it on globally on the likes of Fox and ESPN, then that's already better than what the IRL is doing.

Could they fund a whole new OW series? They could do it with only spillage from their F1 budget.

[stroker]

They could do it with only spillage from their F1 budget.

They could pull the F1 teams and have a quarter of the grid made up already. If they included their ladder teams they could probably do the whole grid...

[cameraman]

Full F1 season on Fox?

Bite your tongue:o:o:o

[Easy]

Full F1 season on Fox?

God I hope not. The dumbed down commentary for Fox is almost as bad as Scott "let me explain the painfully obvious to you in kindergarten terms" Goodyear. We're fortunate that Varsha and Matchett treat us as a well informed audience for the most part. We probably have some of the most interesting commentary across the globe since they aren't having to dumb down to appeal to large audiences. I wish I could get NFL commentary as intricate and informative as Speed F1.

Btw, Hobbes verbal fellatio of Hamilton does not count as treating the audience as informed.

[pchall]

Just because I have so much love for the IRL. ;)

[BarillaGirl]

What sort of start-up series would have "full backing" and be on a decent network (something > VS)? Seems unlikely unless it includes teenage vampires driving cars. :rolleyes:

Oooh, would the cars be all sparkly and be able to fly? :eek::eek:

[Al Czervik]

Oooh, would the cars be all sparkly and be able to fly? :eek::eek:

I think the irl has the flying part down pretty well.

[SurfaceUnits]

Seems unlikely unless it includes teenage vampires driving cars. :rolleyes:

or a grid of iCARly's; for the show that routinely out paces the lowly Irl nielsen #s by twenty fold

[G.]

or a grid of iCARly's; for the show that routinely out paces the lowly Irl nielsen #s by twenty fold

It's a better show. :\

[SurfaceUnits]

Everthings coming up roses

17 PAYING drivers, (18 this past weekend) keeping the car counts up.

Lowest 500 ratings, ever.

NO improvement in ABC ratings.

We (teams, series officials) almost outnumberd the fans at the Glen!

Several teams (raises hand) on the bubble for next year.

[Elmo T]

17 PAYING drivers, (18 this past weekend) keeping the car counts up.

So who is NOT paying?

[SurfaceUnits]

So who is NOT paying?

2 gonadsi

3 penske

3 or 4 whinedretti

[NismoZ]

But!...You are all forgetting! WEDNESDAY the all new, fabulous, hi-tech, incredible, amazing INDYCAR will be announced! My guess is it will be almost exactly what many here were suggesting...YEARS ago.:rofl: Can't believe I'll be too interested no mater WHAT they come up with...unless it's a Swift/Mazda twin turbo 900hp Super Atlantic!;):thumbup: Would that be "beast" enough for you, Gil?

[cameraman]

I bet Bernie gave them a sweet deal on the GP2 cars that he is replacing at the end of this season. Made by Dallara and obsolete, a perfect fit for the IRL.

[pchall]

The sport is probably too far gone for anything to help. At this point they could issue spectacular chassis regs and a great engine formula and nobody might answer the bell without guaranteed sales.

[devilmaster]

The sport is probably too far gone for anything to help. At this point they could issue spectacular chassis regs and a great engine formula and nobody might answer the bell without guaranteed sales.

It has to be made extremely cheap to run. That is very hard to do without compromising safety. I just don't see it happening.

[Elmo T]

Even if it was cheap, does anyone care? What new teams would start-up bringing attendance or viewership gains? It could be cheap enough that OC could field our own car, but so what...

There are the haters and, I suppose, a few lovers - but my neighbor with the inflatable Eagles football dude on the front lawn doesn't care. I have several co-workers with all sorts of NASCAR swag - they don't care.

Tomorrow's announcement won't fix open wheel racing overnight, but it could certainly kill it off.

[oddlycalm]

The sport is probably too far gone for anything to help. At this point they could issue spectacular chassis regs and a great engine formula and nobody might answer the bell without guaranteed sales.
That's why it's likely to be exactly what happens. Multiple suppliers, interesting specs, and no chance in hell for success. TG's legacy writ large.

oc

[Gnam]

C'mon delta wing...:thumbup:

[mueber]

I watched the first hour of the 5 Hundret and a little of Watkins Glen, they could have been worse. If the IRL dies,it's over, completely, totally, irrevocably, over. I've already canceled cable, pretty soon, I'll be able to throw the TV away too.

[Gnam]

There is another series that will soon be exploding on the scene on a network that is much better than VS. I have seen the network plan and they have full backing.
The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series was on CBS last weekend. I wonder what the rating was? :tony:

[SurfaceUnits]

The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series was on CBS last weekend. I wonder what the rating was? :tony:

srsly, they got a .4, no lie

[SurfaceUnits]

Lola are furious, DeltaWing and Swift have both confirmed they will NOT supply bodykits! I guess we can write Lola off, too, if they're really mad, and BAT never seemed to be well-funded, so I doubt they'll build it! It's an all-spec all-the-time Dallara-Honda. Well, except Penske, he'll have his own! :rofl:

[Gnam]

Lola are furious, DeltaWing and Swift have both confirmed they will NOT supply bodykits!

Tragic! I so wanted to see a DeltaWing tail fin one of those coiled snakes.

[Andrew Longman]

Lola are furious,

Do tell:)

[SurfaceUnits]

Do tell:)

English firm offers offers IRL Board a 'total solutions package' for 2012 Indycar

http://www.racecar-engineering.com/news/cars/441697/lola-joins-race-for-irl-chassis-deal.html

http://www.autoblog.com/photos/lola-irl-b12-00-and-b12-01-design-proposals/

HAy LOla , you shouldve come here an got are insite on what was gone to hapen an you coulda saved yourseff a buncha time and trouble

[Gangrel]

I think the irl has the flying part down pretty well.

They've got flying figured out....now landing, that's another story entirely... :shakehead

[Methanolandbrats]

WTF is Gil Deferran doing on the Colonic Committee with these **** sticks.
http://indycar.com/tech/content/38523-indycar-2012/

[Elmo T]

WTF is Gil Deferran doing on the Colonic Committee with these **** sticks.
http://indycar.com/tech/content/38523-indycar-2012/


Did you download your wallpaper? :shakehead

http://indycar.com/var/assets_content/track_800x600.jpg

[Methanolandbrats]

:yuck:

[Elmo T]

They tracked down comments from some "Race Authorities" as the page notes. They are:


-- Tony Fernandes, Team Principal, Lotus Racing (Formula One), CEO Air Asia

-- Scott Harris, Executive Director, Speedway Redevelopment Commission

-- Mike Kelly, Executive Vice President, Marketing, Phillips-Van Heusen, parent company of IZOD brand

-- Al Speyer, Executive Director, Firestone Racing



Wow, those are some heavy hitters from the world of motorsports. The only folks missing are the local 7-11 franchise owner, the owner of a racing merchandise trailer, the local print shop that makes banners for the track, and a sugar cane farmer. :rolleyes:

[cameraman]

They tracked down comments from some "Race Authorities" as the page notes. They are:

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal, Lotus Racing (Formula One), CEO Air Asia


Fernandes has the only new F1 team that is approaching functional. He doesn't belong in the group with the other three. In fact he is probably better than anyone on the IRL payroll.